


Standing Tall

by ami_ven



Category: Firefly
Genre: Community: writerverse, F/M, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:31:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When unexpected visitors arrive, River stands a little taller with Jayne at her side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Standing Tall

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "writerverse" prompt "word: tall"

“I fold,” grumbled Jayne, dropping his cards onto their empty-crate-table.

River gave a delighted giggle and scooped up the pile of smooth stones they were using for gambling chips. “Victory!”

Mal and Zoe had gone to see about a job, Kaylee and Simon were off looking for replacement engine parts, and Inara had put herself in charge of supplies, leaving Jayne and River to guard the ship. Not so long ago, they never would have done that. But a lot of things had changed since Miranda, not the least of which were Jayne and River themselves.

It had been downright unsettling for Jayne to realize that he _didn’t_ have a price anymore, that nothing in the ‘verse could make him betray this crew. His crew. And even more unsettling that he unquestioningly counted River as one of them. He trusted her to watch his back out on jobs, to fly the ship and sense dangers they couldn’t see. Hell, he even liked her enough to sit on _Serenity’s_ ramp and play Tall Card until the others got back.

“Shall we continue with another allotment of cards?” asked River.

“Huh?” said Jayne, then nodded. “Sure, ‘nother round. You deal.”

River grinned and began shuffling the cards. Then, she stopped suddenly.

“Hey,” he said, absently, but River didn’t move. “Hey, Moonbrain.”

She was staring at the crowd of people just beyond the ship docks, but Jayne could tell that she was really watching just two of them. They both looked like Core folk who were trying— and failing— to blend in. The woman looked their way and gasped, tugging on the man’s arm and pulling him in their direction.

Jayne stood, scowling. Since Miranda, none of them were fugitives from the law, but that didn’t mean there weren’t still folk who wanted to cause them trouble. ‘Specially with Mal as their captain.

He glanced sideways at River, waiting for her to use her Core-bred manners to send these folk on their way— or, more fun, the knife in her boot— but she let out a strange sound and ducked behind him.

“She is not theirs,” River whispered, small fingers twisting into the back of his t-shirt. “She will not go with them.”

“Didn’ say you would,” said Jayne. He glared at the strangers and raised his voice, “Who’re you?”

Both of them ignored him, and the woman took a hesitant step forward. “River?” she asked, softly. “River, sweetheart, is that you?”

Jayne frowned. “Crazy, you know these folk?”

River leaned her forehead against his back. “She did, once. But they let her fall from the nest, and the wolves got her.”

“Oh, hell,” muttered Jayne. Now he knew, he could see that the woman’s hair was the same color as River’s, and the man looked a lot like Simon.

“She is not theirs,” River repeated. “She belongs to Captain-Daddy’s family now and she will not go—”

“ _Hey_ ,” said Jayne, sharply. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere you don’t wanna. Now, quit talkin’ crazy.”

She peered out from behind him, just far enough that he could see her face. “He will not let them take her?”

“What’d I just say?”

River smiled and moved to stand just in front of him. “Jayne,” she said, in her most dignified voice, standing up straight and smoothing her skirt. “May I introduce my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tam? Mother, Father, this is Mr. Jayne Cobb, fellow crewmate on the transport _Serenity_.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Jayne, and grinned when they both took a step back.

“River?” the woman— Mrs. Tam— asked again. 

“Mother,” she replied, evenly.

Mr. Tam scowled. “Do you have any idea how long we have been looking for you and your brother? Your mother— well, it has been hard on us both. Let’s just go home, River, and we can—”

“ _No_ ,” said River, sharply. “She belongs to _Serenity_ now.”

“ _Serenity_?” repeated Mrs. Tam, looking dubiously up at their ship. “Sweetheart…”

River fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. “She believes their original intentions were sincere, and she wishes them no ill. But she is—” Jayne put his hand on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up at him, then smiled and continued, more confidently, “ _I_ am a new person. I have a new family. I appreciate the care you took of me in my childhood, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself, now.”

“And others, sometimes,” Jayne added, firmly.

River turned to smile at him, a bright genuine smile that kept him smiling back even as the rest of their crew returned and all hell broke loose.

THE END


End file.
